A Cape Town motorist ranked at No 3 on the top 100 list of traffic offenders spent the weekend behind bars after being arrested for 169 outstanding double warrants amounting to almost R160,000.
A warrant of arrest becomes a double warrant if one fails to appear in court on the stipulated date.
The alleged transgressor was nabbed along Main Road in St James on Friday, detained at Muizenberg police station and is expected to appear in the Blue Down’s magistrate’s court on Monday.
“The arrest is a timely reminder of our ongoing struggle with scofflaws who simply have no regard for the law. Beyond just the staggering value of the unpaid fines, one needs to realise that it represents transgressions like speeding, overloading and other driving offences that put lives at risk, and unnecessarily so,” said the city’s MMC for safety and security JP Smith.
“As we prepare to extend the rollout of automated number plate recognition technology, I want to warn scofflaws that it’ll become increasingly more difficult to hide. The software will help us identify a range of things while in transit, from stolen vehicles to outstanding warrants and more, so I’d advise motorists to have their affairs in order,” he added.
Motorist bust for 169 outstanding double warrants worth R160k in Cape Town
Image: 123RF/thainoipho
A Cape Town motorist ranked at No 3 on the top 100 list of traffic offenders spent the weekend behind bars after being arrested for 169 outstanding double warrants amounting to almost R160,000.
A warrant of arrest becomes a double warrant if one fails to appear in court on the stipulated date.
The alleged transgressor was nabbed along Main Road in St James on Friday, detained at Muizenberg police station and is expected to appear in the Blue Down’s magistrate’s court on Monday.
“The arrest is a timely reminder of our ongoing struggle with scofflaws who simply have no regard for the law. Beyond just the staggering value of the unpaid fines, one needs to realise that it represents transgressions like speeding, overloading and other driving offences that put lives at risk, and unnecessarily so,” said the city’s MMC for safety and security JP Smith.
“As we prepare to extend the rollout of automated number plate recognition technology, I want to warn scofflaws that it’ll become increasingly more difficult to hide. The software will help us identify a range of things while in transit, from stolen vehicles to outstanding warrants and more, so I’d advise motorists to have their affairs in order,” he added.
The latest arrest comes weeks after another alleged transgressor in the “top 100” was arrested by traffic services in Epping with 275 warrants adding up to R213,500.
The city said a third person was arrested at home in Hanover Park for 28 warrants totalling R22,600.
Traffic services recorded 45,822 transgressions, impounded 250 public transport vehicles and executed 1,617 warrants of arrest over the past week in the city.
Fifty-eight drivers were arrested — 31 for driving under the influence, 12 for reckless and negligent driving and 15 others on various charges.
The city’s public emergency communication centre recorded 1,804 incidents over the weekend, including 112 cases of assault, 31 of domestic violence and 84 motor vehicle and pedestrian vehicle accidents.
TimesLIVE
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